Flask charging device



June 9, 1959 I E. D. HARTSHORN 2,889,652

' FL'AsK CHARGING DEVICE Filed Dec. 6, 1956 /a r 22 I .7 Z4 i 25 *2a A 2/ 26 Earle -Harzs/zorn INVENTOR v ATTORNEYS United States Patent FLASK CHARGING DEVICE Earle D. Hartshorn, Mira Loma, Califi; Jim Hartshorn, administrator of said Earle D. Hartshorn, deceased Application December 6, 1956, Serial No. 626,756

1 Claim. (Cl. 42--1) This invention relates to a flask charging means.

In a flame-thrower compressed air in flasks is used to project the flame from the gun or nozzle. When the flasks containing the compressed air become exhausted it is necessary to return to the supply depot for new flasks. It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a flask charging means which may be detachably secured to the forward end of a rifle, so that with each firing of the rifle a quantity of air and gas under pressure will be forced into the flask.

The charger embodied in this invention comprises a cylindrical body formed with an air and discharge gas chamber larger in diameter than the bore of the rifle. A laterally projecting valve housing communicates with the air gas chamber and is formed with a threaded nipple, containing a one Way check valve, engageable with the neck of the flask. After a predetermined number of shells have been fired the flask will be filled with a mixture of gas and air under pressure and the flask with the valve housing may be removed from the rifle.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 2, showing a flask charging means constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral designates generally a gun barrel having a bore 13. In order to provide a means whereby a flask 11 may be charged with air or gas under a predetermined pressure, I have provided a charging means which includes a cylindrical member 12 having internal threads 14 at its rear end which engage external threads 15 on the forward end of the gun barrel 13. The cylindrical member 12 is formed with an internal chamber 16 which is substantially the same diameter as the outer diameter of the gun barrel 10. The chamber 16 tapers forwardly as indicated at 17 and a cylindrical barrel or extension 18 projects from the cylindrical member 12. The extension 18 is formed with a bore 19 which is substantially the same diameter as the bore 13.

A valve housing generally indicated at 20, extends laterally from the cylindrical member 12 and includes a housing 21 formed with a nipple 22 which is threaded Patented June 9, 1959 into the cylindrical member 12. Nipple 22 includes a central bore or passage 23 which communicates with the chamber 16. A spring-pressed ball check valve 24 is disposed in the valve housing 21 and is forwardly urged to engage on the valve seat 25 by means of a spring 26. The spring 26 is tensioned by means of a nut 27 which is threaded into the valve housing 21 and the nut 27 is (formed with a central bore 28. The valve housing 21 has extending from the lower end thereof a tubular member or nipple 29 which is threaded integrally of the neck 30 of the flask 11.

In the use and operation of this device, when a cartridge is fired at the rear of the gun barrel 10, the forward movement of the bullet will build up air pressure within the bore 13 which pressure will be communicated into the chamber 16 and of which pressure a part will diifuse through bore 23. This pressure will also be communicated to the flask 11 through the bore 23 of nipple 22 and the base valve 24. The gas behind the bullet will also expand in chamber 16 to be partly taken into the flask 11 through bore 23 opening valve 24 and discharging into flask 11. In this manner with the firing of each bullet through the gun barrel 10 there will be built up additional pressure within the flask 11. Flask 11 is designed for use with flame throwers or other devices which use air or gas under relatively high pressure. With an attachment rfor a gun barrel as here inbefore described, which comprises the cylindrical member 12 and the barrel 18 with valve member 20, a flask may be recharged at the point of use of the flask, thereby making it unnecessary for the user of the device to return it to a supply depot for new or charged flasks.

What is claimed is:

A charging attachment for a compressed air cylinder adapted to be used with a flame thrower, said attachment being adapted to be affixed to a gun barrel for charging the cylinder with the compressed and gaseous mixture occasioned by the discharge of a cartridge in the gun barrel, said attachment comprising a tubular member, internal threads on one end of said member for threadedly mounting said tubular member on the outer end of a gun barrel, an expansion chamber in said tubular member, a stub barrel extending from the other end of said tubular member having a bore of a diameter equal to the diameter of the bore of the barrel to which it is attached, a laterally projecting valve housing extending from said expansion chamber, an outwardly opening spring biased check valve in said valve housing, a threaded fitting carried by said valve housing for supporting an empty compressed air cylinder in position for recharging by the passage of confined compressed air and gases of combustion occasioned by discharge of a cartridge in said barrel through said housing and check valve into said flask, the foremost end of said expansion chamber converging toward the bore of said stub barrel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,309,791 Aasen July 15, 1919 2,063,409 Tear Dec. 8, 1936 2,093,058 Savani Sept. 14, 1937 2,101,063 Green Dec. 7. 1937 

